Prefabricated vine supporting net



July 15, 1958 P. M. BUCKLES 2,342,893

- PREFABRICATED VINE SUPPORTING NET Filed Jan. 14, 1955 FIG.2

IN V EN TOR.

FIG. 7

A TTORNEKS in cost. A more particular object of the present invention is United States Patent YO This invention relates to vine supporting devices, and particularly to vine supporting nets and a method of making the same. i t

Heretofore it has been the practice, in providing support for vines growing in afield, to train a length of string back and forth between a pair of parallel horizontal wires, which in turn are supported by posts. This stringing operation in the fieldis time consuming and thus expensive. f j l A main object of the present invention is to provide a vine supporting device which.has an initial cost only slightly more than prior devices, and which can be erected "in a small fractionof the time required to erect prior devices, to thus effect a considerable overall saving to provide an inexpensive prefabricated vine supporting net adapted for ready erection in the field.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a prefabricated vine supporting net which may be torn down, after fulfilling its purpose, and left in the field.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a prefabricated vine supporting net packaged for ready storage and transportation, and for easy erection at the place of intended use.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of making a prefabricated vine supporting net.

The prefabricated net of the present invention is characterized by including upper and lower strand supporting lines, which preferably are of cord or twine, and strands trained back and forth between the lines in zigzag fashion and being secured to the lines, such as by adhesive carrying paper strips.

Various other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a vine supporting device embodying the concepts of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the we fabricated net disclosed in Fig. 1, parts being broken away for convenience in illustration;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the manner of fastening a vine supporting strand to a strand supporting line;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the net in Fig. 2, more fully showing the manner of fastening a strand to a line;

Fig. 5 is an end view showing a prefabricated net of the present invention wound on a cylinder for ready transportation and use;

Fig. 6 is a side view in elevation of a modified net, the same being shown prior to being folded; and

Fig. 7 is a view of the device in Fig. 6 being folded over to provide the final vine supporting net.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout,

and allowing therprop'er growth thereof.

ithelower line 17 from 2,842,898 Patented July 15, 1958 Fig. 1 disclosesa vine. supporting device embodying the concepts of the present invention and including a number of spaced posts driven into the soil, a pair of such posts 11 being shown. A single net supporting wire 13 is supported by the posts in any conventional manner. Suspended from the wire by a series of S-hooks 14 is a prefabricated net embodying the concepts of the present invention and including an upper strand supporting line 15 and a lower strand supporting line 17. The lines are arranged in parallel relation, as shown, and are substantially coextensive, and are connected by vine supporting strands 19 strung back and forth between the vines in a zigzag fashion, as shown. .In practice, it has been found that the zigzag pattern is best suitable for-supporting vines The lower strand supporting line 17 is connected, such as by staples 21, to the posts 11-to properly space theupper line'15, and it may also be desirablewto provide staples at 23 to connect the upper line 15 to .the posts 11"." Vines 25, such as string bean vines, are. shown as growing on the vine supporting strands 19. 5

Referring particularlyeto Figs; 2, 3 and 4, a particularly advantageous manner of connecting the strands 19 to the-lines15 and'll is disclosed. Fig. 2 discloses that the strands :co'mprisea single length of string strung back and-forth'over theline's in successive fashion, the thusprovided loop :portions 'iof rt'he" string being secured in place to thedinesbyza tape or strip 27 for each line. The strip or'tape is. provided with a tacky or adhesive .material .279, which may-or may not be of the permanently hardening type. The tape or strip is folded over the associated line, the side margins of the tape or strip are pressed together, and the tape pressed against the associated line so that the tape is secured to the line and to the vine supporting strands and to itself. Thus, the zigzag pattern of the-strands is maintained during handling of the net. That is, the strands are prevented from moving longitudinally alongthe lines 15 and 17 and are, of course, also prevented from separation from said lines.

Preferably, the strands 19 and lines 15 and 17 are of cord, string, or other suitable decomposable material, and preferably the joining tape or strips 27 are formed of paper. Thus, at the end of the growing season, or whenever it is desired to tear down the prefabricated netting, this may be done and the netting left in the field to decompose along with the vines. The lines 15 and 17 and strands 19 could be formed of material which does not decompose, with the sacrifice of the above advantage.

Fig. 5 shows a prefabricated netting embodying the concepts of the present invention as being wrapped around a cylinder 35, it being held on the cylinder by a cover 37 which may comprise a paper sleeve or a band. Thus packed, the netting may be conveniently stored or transported to places for use. In use, the wrapper 37 is removed. Then a worker may unwind the netting while another worker attaches the S-hooks and the staples.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a modified form of the invention essentially similar to the prefabricated netting shown in Fig. l, differing therefrom in that the zigzag spacing of the lines is greater than that disclosed in Fig. 1. Also, the spacing between the lines 15 and 17 is correlated to the increased spacing of the zigzag pattern so that, when the thus-formed netting is folded over a tape covered cord 41 attached centrally between and to the lines 15 and 17, a zigzag pattern of strands is provided as shown in Fig. 7, which is the same as that provided in Fig. 1.

By the present invention, a prefabricated vine supporting netting has been provided which may be erected in a small fraction of the time necessary for erecting ona single wire is requiredinthe form of theinvention disclosed in Fig. 1. Where, the vines are not heavy, or the spacing between posts-or other equivalent supports is close, or when the upper line 15is made of especially strong crd.' the netting may 'be erected without the aid of the wire 13. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other ways of fastening the zigzag strands to the lines and 17 could be employed than that specifically shown in Fig. 2 without. departing from the scope of the invention. However, it is not meant by this that all methods of attachment are deemed equivalent, since the particular method shown facilitates more rapid manufacture of prefabricated netting than other known methods or fastening a strand to a line. .A novel method of manufacturing the netting comprises feeding the two lines 15 and 17 along in spaced parallel relation while wrapping the string 19 around .the lines from a fixed station, and

then applying the. tapes orstrips 27 to the lines wrapped with string during movement of the lines to secure the string to the lines.

Having described the invention in what are considered ,to be the preferred embodiments thereof, it is desired that it be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific details shown unless they constitute critical features of the present invention, all of which will be apparent by reference to the following claims.

I claim:

1. A prefabricated .net for'supporting vines, comprising at least two parallel flexible lines, flexible connecting strands strung back and forth between the lines in zigzag fashion, at least certain of said strands constituting integral continuations of other of the strands and adhesive means for fastening the strands to both said lines to prevent longitudinal displacement of the strands relathe-spot assembledvine supporting stringing. Also, only tive to'the said lines both in the collapseda'nd erected condition of the net, and said means also fastening the strands against shifting movement in a direction transverse to said lines to maintain said strands of fixed length between said lines in both the collapsed and erected condition of said net.

2. A prefabricated vine-supporting net comprising at least two spaced flexible strand-supporting lines. strands extending back and forth between the lines, a strip of material for each line, each strip being folded over its line, and means joining the folded portions together to prevent longitudinal displacement of the strands relative to said lines in both the collapsed and erected condition of the net, said means also joining said folded portions to prevent shifting movement of the strands in a direction transverse to said lines to maintain said strands of fixed length between said lines in both the collapsed and erected condition of said net.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 23,338 Aylesworth Mar. 29, 1859 319,057 Bickley June 2, 1885 -1,160,279 Gray Nov. 16, 1915 1,543,957 Steiner June 30, 1925 2,290,386 Schindler July 21, 1942 2,547,352- Wiemers Apr. 3, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,837 Great Britain 1847 4,326 Great Britain 1900 10,671 Great Britain 1912 180,868 Great Britain June 8, 1922 456,777 Italy Apr. 21, 1950 

